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'It is with great pride understanding and acceptance that I am ending my campaign for President of the United States.'THE FIGHT IS OVER. AFTER NEARLY 24 HOURS OF CONFLICTING REPORTS, GOVERNOR BILL RICHARDSON MAKES IT OFFICIAL. SAYING HE GAVE IT EVERYTHING HE HAD... GOVERNOR BILL RICHARDSON PULLS OUT OF THE RACE FOR PRESIDENT. THAT ANNOUNCEMENT COMING THIS AFTERNOON FROM THE CAPITOL ROTUNDA. SHELTON DODSON WAS THERE ... HE'S LIVE IN SANTA FE WITH OUR TOP STORY... SHELTON: RICHARDSON STARTED TODAY WITH AN APOLOGY. AN APOLOGY THAT WORD HE WAS LEAVING THE RACE WAS LEAKED OUT LAST NIGHT INSTEAD OF BEING ANNOUNCED DIRECTLY BY HIM TODAY. RICHARDSON BROUGHT A MERCIFUL END THE INEVITABLE BY GETTING OUT THE RACE WHICH SAW HIM FINISH AN INSURMOUNTABLE FOURTH IN BOTH IOWA AND NEW HAMPSHIRE. HE RAISED 22- MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE CAMPAIGN BUT THE COFFERS WERE RUNNING DRY WITH WAY TOO MUCH OF THE RACE LEFT TO RUN. THIS AFTERNOON RICHARDSON APPEARED RESTED AND UPBEAT... AND SPOKE OF THE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HE SHARED HIS MESSAGE DURING A YEAR ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL: : 'They shared their hopes, their ideas, their problems and their questions with me. And boy there were some tough questions. I gave them the best that I had and I gave this race the best that I had .' RICHARDSON -- WHO DID NOT TAKE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE MEDIA THIS AFTERNOON -- ALSO DECLINED TO ENDORSE ONE OF KED THAT HIS SUPPORTERS TAKE TIME AND DEDICATION IN DECIDE WHOM TO CAST THEIR VOTE FOR. RICHARDSON ALSO SAID HE WILL TURN HIS FOCUS TO THE START OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION NEXT WEEK... WITH A GOAL OF EXTENDING HEALTH INSURANCE TO EVERY NEW MEXICAN BEFORE THE END OF HIS TERM. LIVE AT THE CAPITOL, SHELTON DODSON, EYEWITNESS NEWS FOUR. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HEAR, GOVERNOR RICHARDSON'S